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[ October 21, 2018 ] Abductions and Attacks in Ebola Outbreak Area, African Swine Fever, mRNA Vaccines Biodefense Headlines
[ October 16, 2018 ] Convening the Emergency Committee for Ebola, Antibiotics as Infrastructure, Vaccine Confidence Biodefense Headlines
[ October 7, 2018 ] DARPA Insect Allies, Dual Use Research of Concern, OPCW Hacking Plot Biodefense Headlines
[ September 30, 2018 ] Hepatitis E Jumps From Rats to Humans, Global AMR Challenge, Flu Season Returns Biodefense Headlines
[ September 27, 2018 ] BARDA Backs SeLux Diagnostics’ Test to Rapidly Identify Bacterial Infections Biodetection

Ebola Outbreak Confirmed in Democratic Republic of Congo

May 8, 2018 Stephanie Lizotte Biosurveillance, Emerging Threats, Featured, Pathogens

Ebola Outbreak in Bikoro, Democratic Republic of Congo — The approximate location of the outbreak in Bikoro, DRoC.

Health officials in Democratic Republic of Congo have reported 21 patients showing signs of hemorrhagic fever and 17 deaths in the affected area before an Ebola outbreak was confirmed today.

Ground teams took five samples from suspected active cases and two tested positive for the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus, the ministry said in a statement.

The outbreak is in the northwestern town of Bikoro.

This is the 9th recorded outbreak in the country and comes less than a year after the last outbreak, in which eight people were infected of whom four died.

Democratic Republic of the Congo Health Ministry Ebola Statement — The full statement on the Ebola outbreak from the Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Health.

Read more:

DRC Confirms Two Cases of Ebola in North-Western Town The Guardian
Two cases of Ebola confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Sky News
ZMapp Ebola Treatment to be Tested at Texas Biomed Global Biodefense
Ebola Virus Can Infect Reproductive Organs of Macaques Global Biodefense

DARPA Insect Allies, Dual Use Research of Concern, OPCW Hacking Plot

October 7, 2018 Stephanie Lizotte Biodefense Headlines

See what we’re reading this week at Global Biodefense on topics including DARPA’s Insect Allies, new Ebola cases in eastern Congo, Dual Use Research of Concern, and cyber-attack plot against the OPCW. Quick Index [Read more]

Hepatitis E Jumps From Rats to Humans, Global AMR Challenge, Flu Season Returns

September 30, 2018 Global Biodefense Staff Biodefense Headlines

See what we’re reading this week at Global Biodefense on topics including the return of flu season, pandemic candidate viruses, and the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Quick Index OUTBREAK NEWS + THREAT SURVEILLANCEIn Hong Kong, [Read more]

BARDA Backs SeLux Diagnostics’ Test to Rapidly Identify Bacterial Infections

September 27, 2018 Global Biodefense Staff Biodetection, Featured, Funding, Industry News

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) will sponsor the advanced development of [Read more]

Military Lab Biosafety Reforms, African Swine Fever Spreads in China, Honduras Mumps Outbreak

September 24, 2018 Global Biodefense Staff Biodefense Headlines

See what we’re reading this week at Global Biodefense on topics including medical countermeasure POD drills, rebel attack hampering Ebola vaccination efforts in DRoC, and the appearance of African Swine Fever in Inner Mongolia. [Read more]

Focus on Melioidosis: Highlighted News and Research

September 21, 2018 Global Biodefense Staff Countermeasures, Pathogens, Research

Melioidosis, also called Whitmore’s disease, is an infectious disease that can infect humans or animals. The disease is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Quick Index Melioidosis: The Most Neglected Tropical DiseaseMelioidosis Kills [Read more]

Naval Research Laboratory Seeks to Advance Field Diagnostics of Infectious Agents

September 21, 2018 Global Biodefense Staff Biodetection, Featured, Funding, Military

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is seeking partners to advance technology developed for in vitro diagnostic devices that are amenable to military hardening and integration with communication capabilities to support the medical [Read more]